girl rising - wcd.nic.in guide for ngo... · 3 the girl rising india campaign aims to reach girls...

A F A c i l i t A t o r ’ s G u i d e F o r N G o s c r e e N i N G s

Girl risiNG

tAble oF coNteNt

sectioN 1 Girl risiNG cAMPAiGN 3

• AbouttheGirlRisingFilm 4

• SpecialNGOEdition 4

sectioN 2 For tHe FAcilitAtor 8

• ObjectiveoftheGuide 8

• FortheFacilitator 9

• FacilitationTips 10

• TheDosandDon’tsofFacilitating 10

sectioN 3 PlANNiNG For tHe screeNiNG 13

• HowtousetheGirlRisingNGOSpecialEdition 13

• Whoistheaudience? 13

sectioN 4 discussioN QuestioNs 14

sectioN 5 cAll to ActioN 22

ANNeXures 23

1. BackgroundonMakingofGirlRising:TheStorybehindtheStories 23

2. AboutEmpoweringNextGenerationstoAdvanceGirls’Education(ENGAGE) 25

3. PartnershipwithSavetheChildren 26

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TheGirlRisingIndiaCampaignaimstoreachgirlsandboys,theirfamilies,communities,andotherdecision-makerstoraiseawarenessaboutthepowerandbenefitofgirls’education.Throughpowerfulstory-telling,thecampaignaimstogeneratepublicdialogueongenderandeducationissuesaswellassparkcommunity-ledchangeasindividualswhoaremotivatedbythesestorieschoosetoaddressbarrierstogirls’educationintheirowncommunities.

the campaign’s vision is to change the way the girl child is valued in the society, to increase access to equitable, quality education for girls, reduce gender disparity in education in india through the medium of storytelling and films, and thereby increase investment in girls education and investment programs.

sectioN 1

Girl risiNG cAMPAiGN

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About tHe Girl risiNG FilMTheGirlRisingfilmistheheartofthecampaign.Itisdesignedtoentertainandinspireaudiences,whileintroducingthemtothebarrierstoeducationfacedbygirlsgrowingupinthedevelopingworld.Thefilmtellsthestoriesofnineunforgettablegirlsfromninecountries,strivingbeyondcircumstancesandovercomingnearlyinsurmountableoddsastheyseektoachievetheirdreams.

Thefilmtellsthispowerfultruth:educating girls is transformative.Whengirlsareeducated,familiesandcommunitiesprosper,theeconomiesofcountriesgrow,andtheworldbecomesmorestable.

Withthisinmind,thefilmhelpsfocustheaudienceonthreeveryimportantfacets.Itencouragesandinspiresviewersto:

• Imagineabetterfutureforgirlswheretheyarevaluedasmuchasboys

• Understandthateveryonehasacriticalroleinhelpinggirlsrise–parents,siblings,grandparents,teachers,peers,andthecommunityatlarge

• Supportgenderequality–athome,inschool,intheworkplace,andinbroadersociety

S p e c i a l N G O e d i t i O N

SpecialandshortereditionsoftheGirlRisingFilmareexclusivelyavailabletoNGOsforcommunityscreenings:Hauslaisbasedonthethemeof“determination”,andumeed Ka saharaisbasedonthethemeof“familysupport”.EacheditioncontainsthreeoftheGirlRisingstories.

renowned bollywood superstars like Priyanka chopra, Nandita das, Madhuri dixit, Freida Pinto, Kareena Kapoor and sushmita sen along with Amitabh bachchan have supported this film and given their voices to narrate these inspiring stories.

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‘umeed Ka sahara’ highlightshowfamilysupportisessentialinhelpinggirlsgotoschoolandstayinschool.Meettheinspiringstarsofthisedition:

ruKsANA (india) is supported by her father.RuksanaandherfamilyliveonthestreetsofKolkata,India.Attremendoussacrifice,Ruksana’sparentslefttheirvillageforthecitysotheirdaughterswouldhaveachanceatagoodeducation.Ruksana’slifeisfilledwithdangerbutsheescapesintoherartworkanddrawsstrengthfromherfather’ssupportandresolve.

AZMerA (ethiopia) is supported by her brother.When13-yearoldAzmeraistoldshemustmarry,shedoessomethingshockingandbrave:withthesupportofherbrother,shesaysNO.MeetanEthiopianfamilywhereabrotherchampionshisyoungersister’sambitiontobeeducatedandtobefree.

“that’s when i learned to never give up.”

“What if a girl’s life could be more?”

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suMA (Nepal) is supported by a social worker.Thoughherbrothersgotoschool,Sumaisforcedintobondedlabouratage6.Sheenduresyearsofsorrow,gruelingworkandbrutaltreatmentatthehandsofher“masters.”Whilesheworks,Sumacomposesbeautifulsongsthatdescribeherplight.Itisthemusic,shesays,thatgetsherthrough.Withsupportfromaschoolteacher,shelearnstoreadandwrite,andwithhelpfromasocialworker,sheisfinallyfreed.TodaySumauseshereducationtofightforothergirls.

‘Hausla’highlightshowwithcourageanddeterminationagirlcanchangeherlife,andintheprocess,encourageothers.Meettheinspiringstarsofthisedition:

WAdleY’s (Haiti) determination is what keeps her in school, even when others say it’s impossible.

Wadleyisjust7whentheworldcomescrashingdownaroundher.Haiti’scatastrophicearthquakedestroysherhomeandschool,butitcannotbreakherirrepressiblespiritnorextinguishherthirsttolearn,evenasshe’sturnedawayfromtheschoolhousedayafterday.

seNNA’s (Peru) determination propels her past the poverty and squalor that surrounds her … and into the classroom and a world of words beyond it.

Senna’sfamilystrugglestosurviveinableakPeruvianminingtown.ButSenna’sfatherhasbighopesforherandinsistsshegotoschool.Thereshediscoversthetransformativepowerofpoetry.Drivenbypassion,talentandmotivation,Sennaseemsdestinedforabetterfuture–andtobecomethesuccessherfatherdreamedshe’dbe.

“i will come back every day until i can stay.”

“Poetry is how i turn fear into will.”

“change is like a song you can’t hold back.”

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AMiNA’s (Afghanistan) determination allows her to imagine how her life can be different from the world she sees around her … and how she can lead the change.

AminaisconstrainedbyAfghansociety,confinedbyhergenderandexpectedonlytoservemen.Butthischild-bridehashadenough.Sheisdeterminedtorejectthelimitationsprescribedbysocietyandtoleadotherstofollowingsuit.

“look into my eyes. do you see it now? i am change.”

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Thefacilitator’sgoalistohelptheaudienceunderstandwhygirls’educationmatters–andhowit,orthelackofit,impactsindividuals,familiesandcommunities.TheGuideoffersastep-by-stepapproachtoengagingthetargetaudienceineffectivediscussionsaroundtheissue.

objective oF tHe GuideThisguideisintendedtoprovidefacilitatorswithspecificideasmeanttodotwothings:first,fostermeaningfuldiscussionbeforeandaftertheSpecialEditionscreening;and,second,leadtotangibleactionsthatmembersoftheaudiencecanintroducetotheircommunities.Thesearebroadideas,intendedtoprovideafoundationtohelpthefacilitatorexplorethebehavioralandattitudinalresponsesoftheaudience.Facilitatorsareencouragedtousetheirownjudgmentandcreativitytodeepentheconversationandtailorittotheparticularaudience.

Thisguidealsoprovidesfacilitatorswithbackgroundmaterial–thattheycanpassontotheiraudiences–aboutthestatusofgirlchildeducationinIndiaandtherolethatindividuals,families,decision-makersandpeopleinpositionsofauthoritycanplayinstrengtheningthegirlchildeducationmovement.

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For tHe FAcilitAtor

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For tHe FAcilitAtor

W h O i S a F a c i l i t a t O r ?

Inthecontextofthisprogramme,afacilitatorhelpsagroupofpeopleunderstandissuesaroundgirlchildeducationandencouragesthemtoarriveatcommonobjectivestowardsit.Overseveralroundsofone-on-oneandgroupinteractions,s/hewillpreparetheaudienceforthescreeningbyexplainingtheproblemandputtingitintocontext.Thefacilitatorwillhelpenable‘FocusedGroupDiscussions’aroundthescreeningandaddressobjectivesoftheGirlRisingEducationProgrammewithinthecommunity.Thefacilitatorwillalsohelptheaudiencearriveatasingleormultiple‘CallToAction’bysupportingeachmemberandencouragingthegrouptolookforinclusivesolutionsandsustainableagreements.

a F a c i l i t a t O r W i l l b e e x p e c t e d t O :

• BefamiliarwiththeNGOSpecialEditionsandfullyunderstandthecontentanditspurpose

• Organizecommunityscreeningsandleadstructuredgroupdiscussions

• Understandandbeabletoaddresstheissuesaroundeducatinggirls,theimpactofeducatinggirls,andwhyeducatinggirlsmatterstoallofus

• Sharelearningsfromthescreeningsanddiscussionswithvariousstakeholders–especiallyreligiousleaders,localdecision-makersandinfluentialcommunityleaderswhohavetheauthorityand/orrespecttoinfluencebehavioranddeep-seatedbeliefs

• Usethediscussionstoidentifyrole-modelsamongtheaudiencemembersand/orwithinthevillages,schools,communitiesandencouragethemtowork/continueworkingongirlchildeducationintheircommunitysoastocreatealonglastingimpact.

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F a c i l i t a t i O N t i p S

Itislikelythatthiswillbeanewexperienceformostmembersoftheaudience,whomayonlyhavebeenexposedtofilm/storytellingasavehicleforentertainment.Thefacilitatorshouldbepreparedtoexplaintotheaudiencewellinadvancewhatthepurposeofthefilmis,andwhythere’saneedforadiscussion.

FacilitatorsshouldtryandinvolvereligiousorotherlocalleaderstohelpdisseminatetheGirlRisingmessageabouttheimportanceofgirlchildeducation.Ifawell-respectedlocalorreligiousleaderisinvitedtopresideoverthepost-screeningdiscussion,itmighthelpthefacilitatorconnectmoreeasilywiththetargetaudienceandunderscoretheimportanceofthemessage.

Forthefacilitator’sconvenience,wearesharingsomefacilitationtipsanddosanddon’ts.Thesewillhelpthefacilitatorgetthegreatestimpactfromthescreeningsandaudiencediscussions.

tHe dos ANd doN’ts oF FAcilitAtiNG

t h e d O S :

• ThefacilitatorshouldwatchtheNGOSpecialEditionandreadaboutthemaincharactersbeforethescreening

• ThefacilitatorshouldreadthisGuidecarefullyandmakeanoteofpointstoberaisedorquestionstobeaskedduringthefocusedgroupdiscussions.(Asamplelistisincludedintheguide).

• Thefacilitatorshouldknowtheaudiencewell.Whilesomeofthequestionsmaybeappropriateforallaudiences,otherswillbemoresuitableforspecificgroups.

• Thefacilitatorshouldmakeanefforttobesuretherespondentsfeelcomfortableandatease.Humourcanworkwondersinbreakingdownbarriersandinfusingenergyintoagroup.

• Thefacilitatorshouldbeclearincommunicatingtotheaudiencethatthediscussionisn’taboutjudgingthepeopleinthefilm,ortheircircumstances,butratheraboutusingtheinsightsandlessonsfromthefilmtodiscussrelevantissuesintheirownlivesandcommunities.

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• Thefacilitatorshouldencouragemembersoftheaudiencetodrawparallelsfromtheirlivesandtheirowncommunities.

• Thefacilitatorshouldmakecertaintheaudienceunderstandsthattheiropinions–allopinions–areofutmostimportanceandvaluablefortheprogramme.

• Thefacilitatorshouldstructuretheconversationsothateveryonewhowantstospeakhasanopportunitytobeheard.Forexample,thefacilitatormightlimitopportunitiesforover-enthusiasticcontributorstojumpbackintothediscussionuntileveryonehashadafirstchancetospeak.

• Thefacilitatorshouldencourageparticipantstospeakonlyforthemselves,andnottogeneralizeorpresumetoknowwhatothersthinkofthefilm,orofgirlchildeducation.Thefacilitatorshouldalsocommunicatetotheparticipantsthats/heisinterestedineveryopinionevenif–orespeciallyif–itdifferent.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhenthefacilitatorgetsasensethatparticipantsarefallingintoconformitytrap.

• Thefacilitatorshouldgentlyencouragethegirlsorwomenintheaudiencetotalkandshareopenly.Manyofthemarelikelytohavebeenconditionedbytheirfamiliesorcommunitiestobesilent.

• Giventheabovefact,thefacilitatormayalsoconsiderchoosinganappropriatesettingforgirlsandwomen.Sometimeswomenandgirlsmaynoteasilyexpresstheiropinionsinpublic.But,ifspokentoseparatelyinagroupofwomen,theymaybequitewillingtosharetheiropinionsaboutthefilmandtheissuesitraises.

• Thefacilitatorshouldreadbetweenthelinesbylisteningnotjusttowhatisbeingsaid,butalsotowhatisnotbeingsaid–andwatchingcloselyforwhatisbeingfelt.S/heshouldpaycarefulattentiontotheaudiencemember’sbodylanguageasthatwillhelphim/herprobeatdifferentlevels.

• Thefacilitatorshouldtreatsilence/silentmomentsastimeforreflection–becausethatisexactlywhatisneeded:fortheaudiencetothinkaboutwhattheysawandlearned.Thereafter,s/heshouldtakethediscussionforwardorganically.

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• Thefacilitatorshouldleavetimeattheendofthegroupdiscussiontobrainstormpossibleactions–ortosuggestCallToAction–andhelpfacilitatetheaction(s)thataudienceschoosetotake.(SuggestedCalltoActionsarealsoincludedinthisguide)

a N d t h e d O N ’ t s :

• Thefacilitatorshouldnotinterpretthefilmfortheparticipantsorprovideanyanswerstothequestionsathandbecauseafacilitator’sroleistohelppeopleprobesotheycanlearnfromthefilm,andfromoneanother.

• Thefacilitatorshouldnotframethequestionssothey“lead”theaudiencetoananswer(suchas,“Don’tyouthinkthefamilyshouldhavebeenmoreproactive?”).Instead,S/heshouldaskquestionsthatpromptathoughtfulandpersonalresponse(like,“Howwouldyouhandleasituationlikethis?”or“Whatdidyoulearnfromthethingsthatpersondidinthefilm?”).

• Thefacilitatorshouldnotletsilenceconcernhim/herandshouldavoidfillingitwithrepetition,prompts,orhis/herthoughts.Thefacilitatorshouldavoidfallingintothetrapofsub-consciouslyfavouringthemajorityview.

• Thefacilitatorshouldnotlethis/herownprejudicesorbiasesinfluencethediscussion.

• Thefacilitatorshouldnotendthediscussionwithcommandinginstructionsabouthowtoproceedorwhatactionstotake.S/heshouldallowthistobeapeople’sinitiative.

WehopethefilmandtheFocusedGroupDiscussionwilleffectivelydeliverthemessagethatgirls’educationmattersandthateveryoneintheaudiencehastheabilitytotakeactionandeffectchange,andwehopetheywilldetermine,withhelpfromthefacilitator,justhowtodothat.

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HoW to use tHe Girl risiNG NGo sPeciAl editioNThereareseveralwaystoscreentheseSpecialEditionfilms:atthelocaltheatre,inschools,incommunitycentersorthePanchayatBhawaninyourblockareaaspartofatrainingsession,groupmeeting,communityeventetc.

TheGirlRisingFilm–andtheseSpecialEditions–areintendedtosparkasubstantialconversationinthecommunityaroundgenderissues,theneedforchange,andhowmeaningfulchangeisintricatelyandinevitablylinkedtogirls’education.

WHo is tHe AudieNce?Everyoneandanyonecanbeapartofthescreening!Theobjectiveistosensitizepeopleinthecommunitytohowimmenselyimportantgirls’educationis–forallofus.

People who should be targeted for the screening include:

• Adolescentgirlsandboys

• Parentsandgrandparents

• Teachers,PrincipalsandmembersofSchoolManagementCommittees

• RepresentativesoftheEducationDepartment

• CommunityleadersandPanchayatrepresentatives

• Religiousleaders

• OtherNGOpartnersandCommunitymembers

sectioN 3

PlANNiNG For tHe screeNiNG

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WhilefacilitatinganykindofFocusedGroupDiscussion(FGD),itisimportantthatfacilitatorsclearlyunderstandthedifferencebetweenquestionsmeanttoprovideacontextualunderstandingtotheaudience,whichhaveclearandcorrectanswers,andthosequestionsmeantforgaugingtheaudience,whicharealwaysopen-ended.Hereareexamplesofwhatwemean.

QuestioNs AiMed At ProvidiNG coNteXtThesequestionscanbeintegratedintoadiscussiontoreinforcetheconceptsandissueathand:

• Whatarethewaysinwhicheachgendercontributestofamiliesandsociety?

• Whatarethebenefitsinsendingourgirlstoschool?

• Whatkindofsupportcanafamilyprovideforagirlsothatshecangotoschool?

• Whataretheobstacleskeepingthegirlsinthefilmawayfromschool?Whatarethemajorchallengesorbarriersfacedbygirlsinyourcommunityingettingtoschool?

• Howwilleducatinggirlshaveapositiveimpactonhouseholdincome?

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discussioN QuestioNs

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QuestioNs AiMed At GAuGiNG tHe AudieNceThesequestionshavesubjectiveanswersandaremostimportantinformingsubsequentlinesofquestioning.Thisiswherethefacilitatorcaneffectivelyusethetips,dosanddon’ts(givenintheprevioussection)–alongwithhis/herjudgment–toleadthediscussioninamannerthathelpsrealisetheaimsandobjectivesoftheprogramme.Forinstance:

• Whatdidyoulearnfromthefilmaboutgirlchildeducation?

• Whatinthefilmdemonstratedtoyouhoweducationcanempowergirls?

• Didyouseeanythingfamiliarinthefilmthatisclosetoyourlifeaswell?

• Whatdidyoulearnthatyoucouldapplyinyourownfamilyorcommunity?

• Whatdogirlsinyourcommunityhaveincommonwiththeyounggirlsfeaturedinthefilm?

• Whatisonelessonyoulearnedfromthefilmthatyouwouldliketosharewithyourfamilyandfriends?

• Wasthereanyparticularcharacterinthefilmthatyoufoundinspiring?Whatisitthatyoulikedthebestaboutthem?

• Whatisthatoneincidentinthefilmthatchallengedtheideasyouhadpriortoseeingthefilm?

• Ifyoucouldspendadaywithonecharacterinthefilm,whowouldyouwanttospenditwithandwhatwouldyouwanttotalkaboutwiththecharacter?

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ForeachoftheSpecialEditions,Hausla (determination) andumeed ka sahara (Family support),thequestionscanbefurtherrefinedtoapplytothespecificstories(or“chapters”)andspecificthemes.Thiswillhelpthefacilitatorleadaparticularlyrelevantdiscussion,withgreaterimpact.Itwillhelptheaudienceexploreandbetterunderstandthenuancesofeachtheme,makingitmorelikelythattheywillopenupandshareopinionsandstories.Hereareexamplesofquestionsforeachtheme.

h a u S l a ( d e t e r m i N a t i O N )

• Whichcharacterwasyourfavouriteandwhy?

• Whydoyoufeelitwasimportanttosharethesestories?

• Howwouldyoudefinedetermination?

• Isitnecessarytohavedetermination?Howdoesithelp?

• Howdidthestoriesreflectthisattribute?

• Howdidhavingthisattributehelpthecharacters?

• WhydidWadley’steacherallowhertostay?

• Doyouknowofanyonewhohasthisattribute?Howhasithelpedthem?

• Whatisempowerment?Howdoesithelp?

• Canartplayaroleinempowerment?

• InherstorySennasays“poetryishowIturnuglinessintoart”-Isthatpossible?HowdidpoetryhelpSenna?

• HowisAminarejectingsociety’slimitations?Issheinfluencingchangeinothers?How?

• Haveyoueverfeltempowered?Whathelpedyouachievethatfeeling?Doyouwanttofeelitagain?

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u m e e d K a S a h a r a ( F a m i ly S u p p O r t )

• Whichcharacterwasyourfavouriteandwhy?

• Whydoyoufeelitwasimportantforthefilm’sdirectortosharethesestories?

• Howdoyoufeelwhensomeoneencouragesyou?

• Haveyoueverbelievedandsupportedanotherpersonsotheymightfulfiltheirdream?Howdiditfeel?

• Howcanwehelpotherstoreachtheirgoals?Howcanweinfluenceandsupportothers?

• HowdidRuksana’sfatherencouragehertodobetterinschool?

• HowdidRuksana’sparentshelpandencourageeachother?

• Inherstory,Sumasaysshehas“importantworktodo”.Whatdidshemean?Howisshenowimpactingthelivesofothers?

• WhatdifferencedidAzmera’sbrothermakeinherlifeandherfuture?

• Ifyoufeltthatsomeonewasbeingtreatedunfairly,whatstepswouldyoutake?

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Participantscanplayanimportantroleinspreadingthewordaboutthepowerofgirls’educationandfuellingthemovementtosupportit.Here,thefacilitatorcanuseFGDsasanopportunitytoinspireparticipantssotheymightbecomeadvocatesforgirls’educationintheirownfamiliesandcommunities.Forexample:

• Askeachparticipanttocompletethissentence:“IwillsharewhatIlearnedtodaywith…”(Nameoftheperson/s)

• DuringtheFGDs,createalistofbarrierstogirlchildeducationandencouragetheparticipantstosharethislistwithrelevantstakeholders

• Identifygirlswithinthecommunitywhoneedsupportand,throughtheGirlRisingstories,inspiretheparticipantstotakeactiontoprovidethatneededsupportorencouragement.

• Identifyarolemodelwithinthecommunitywhocaninspireandmotivatetheparticipants

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Tocreatemeaningfulimpact,itisimportantthatthefacilitatorleavesthetargetaudiencewithconcreteandpracticalsuggestionswhichtheycanusetoeffectchangesintheirownlives,aswellasinthecommunity.Herearesomekeymessagestohelpthefacilitatorachievethesame.

F O r a d O l e S c e N t b O y S a N d y O u t h

• challenge andquestiongenderstereotypesandroles.

• respectwomenandgirlsasequalmembersofsociety.

• opposechildmarriagewithinthefamilyandcommunity.

• Mind your languageandbesensitivetowomenandgirls.

• offer your supportinmakingschoolandneighbourhoodsafeforgirls.

F O r a d O l e S c e N t G i r l S

• respect yourselfandstandupforrights

• don’t tolerateanykindofviolenceorharassmentathome,atschools/educationalinstitutionsorinanypublicplaces

• speak upagainstsuchviolenceorharassmentandreporttoparents/elders/principals

• completeyoureducationanddon’tdropoutofschool

• don’t marrybeforeyouturn18

• challengeandquestiongenderstereotypesandroles

• encourage yourfriendstodothesame

• support your friendsinachievingtheirgoals

• dream big

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F O r p a r e N t S

• celebratethebirthofgirlchildinthefamilyandcommunity

• take prideindaughtersandopposethementalityof‘Bojh’and‘ParayaDhan’.

• encourage daughterstoNOTtolerateanykindofviolenceorharassmentathome,atschools/educationalinstitutes,andinpublicplaces,encouragethemtospeakupagainstviolenceandharassmentandreportanyincidencestoparents/elders/principals.

• educateyourdaughtersothatshebecomesacapableindividualandaneducatedmother.Shewillbehealthier,andeventuallyherchildrenwillbehealthiertoo.

• empoweryourdaughtertogoout,pursuehighereducation,work,becomefinanciallyindependent,andaccesspublicspacesfreely.

• dream as bigfor your daughters as you do for your sons

F O r t e a c h e r S a N d S c h O O l a u t h O r i t i e S

• secure admission and retentionofgirlchildinschools.

• encouragegirlstoparticipateinacademic,sportsandco-curricularactivities.

• Have a regular dialoguewithparentsontheimportanceofeducation.

• inspirechildrentoidentifytheirfemalerolemodelsfromwithintheircommunity,andencouragethemtotalkaboutthem.

• integrategender-basedthemesintheschoolassemblyandco-curricularactivitiestoboostgendersensitisationandequality.

• do not tolerateanyviolenceorharassmentagainstgirls

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F O r O p i N i O N - m a K e r S a N d l O c a l l e a d e r S

• Make Positive reinforcements of daughtersasprovidersofoldagesecurity.Itneedstobehighlightedthatdaughtersalsotakecareoftheirparentsintheiroldage,asmuchassonsdoandsometimesevenmore.

• Promote simple Weddingswithinthecommunitytounburdenparentsfromdowryandostentatiousmarriageceremonies.

• Promote equal Property rightsfordaughtersasitisforsons,vigorously,inthecommunity.

• Prevent early/child Marriageinordertohighlighttheimportanceofallowinggirlstocompletetheirschooleducationandpreferablyoptforhighereducation/career/skillbuilding/vocationaleducationetc.

• do not tolerateanyviolenceorharassmentandstrive to make neighbourhood safe andviolence-freeforwomenandgirls.

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coMMityourselftogirlchildeducation.Takeresponsibilityforcreatingfurtherawarenessandengagingcommunitymembersontheissue.

ideNtiFY, ProMote ANd sHArethestoriesofgirlsorothercommunityrolemodelswhofightagainstalloddstogeteducation,andgoontoclaimbetterlivesforthemselves.

eMPoWerthechange.Bethecatalyst,whetheryouareyoungorold,amanorawoman,aboyoragirl.Weallhaveimportantrolestoplaywithinourownfamiliesandcommunities.

eNcourAGepeopletocommittoprotection,safety,valueandeducationofthegirlchild.

InordertoarrestandreversethedeclineinChildSexRatio,theGovernmentofIndialaunchedaninitiative,BetiBachaoBetiPadhao(BBBP).Throughthisprocess,effortstoempowerwomen,providethemdignityandopportunitieswillbeenhanced.ThisisajointinitiativeofMinistryofWomenandChildDevelopment,MinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfareandMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment.

Aspertheguidelinesoftheinitiative,wemustencouragethecommunitytocommitto:

• Celebratingthebirthofgirlchildamongfamilyandfriends

• Takingprideindaughtersandopposethementalityof“ParayaDhan”

• Findingsmall&bigwaystopromoteequalitybetweenboysandgirls

• Securingadmission&retentionofgirlchildinschools

• Engagingmenandboystochallengegenderstereotypesandroles

• Reportinganyincidentofsexdeterminationtest.

• Strivingtomakeourneighborhoodsafe&violence-freeforwomen&girls

• Promotingsimpleweddings.

• Supportingwomen’srighttoinheritandownproperty

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cAll to ActioN

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1. background on Making of Girl rising: the story behind the stories

TheideaforGirlRisingemergedwhenateamofjournalistsaskedthisdauntingandseeminglyintractablequestion:Howdoyouendglobalpoverty?

Aswespoketoglobalpolicyexperts,developmentpractitioners,andleaderswithyearsofexperienceeradicatingpoverty,asimpletruthemerged–atruththatexpertsaccepted,butthatwasnotwidelyknownoutsideofacademicanddevelopmentcommunities:Educatinggirlsisthehighestreturnoninvestmentyoucanmakeifyouwanttobreakcyclesofpoverty.Yet:

• 62milliongirlsareoutofschoolworldwide.

• 496milliongirlsoverage15cannotreadorwrite.

• Thereare33millionfewergirlsthanboysinprimaryschoolworldwide.

so what is standing in their way?

• Earlyandforcedmarriage

• Genderviolenceanddiscrimination

• Harmfulsocialandgenderbiasednorms

• Economicdiscrimination

• Domesticslavery

ANNeXures

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When barriers fall, everyone rises

ThefilmmakersbehindGirlRisingsawhowmanygirlsaroundtheworldareundervaluedandunsupported,todevastatingeffect.Buttheywerealsoshownevidenceoftheastonishingimpactqualityeducationcanhave.Itisnothyperboletosaythattheeconomicfutureoftheentireworldwillbestronglyaffectedbythefateofgirls–eitherpositivelyornegatively,dependingonwhether,whereandhowmanygirlsgetaccesstotheeducation,healthcare,andsafetyfromharmtheyrequireanddeserve.

Here’s how.

Ifagirliseducated:

• Itisfarmorelikelythatshewillmarrylater,havealowerriskofdyinginpregnancyorchildbirth,havefewerchildren,andavoidcontractingHIV/AIDS

• Sheislesslikelytobeavictimofdomesticviolenceandmorelikelytoengageincivicleadership.

• Shewillearnmoremoney.Anextrayearofprimaryschoolboostsgirls’eventualwagesby10to20%.Anextrayearofsecondaryschool:15to25%.1

1 WorldBank(JChabaan;2011)

Bestofall,aneducatedmotherismorelikelytoeducatebothsonsanddaughtersequally,passingprosperityandopportunitytothenextgeneration,andsoon.Inotherwords,investingingirlscreatesarippleeffectthatcantransformfamilies,communitiesandentirecountries.Infact:

• Whenthenumberofgirlsattendingschoolincreasesby10%,acountry’sGDPincreasesby3%.

• Theestimatedeconomiclossincountriesthatdonoteducategirlstothesamelevelasboysis$92billionperyear.

the data was there.

Thefilmmakersknewtheyhadtofindawaytoshowtheworldwhatcanhappenifyouinvestingirlscommensuratetotheirworthandtheirpotential.Itwastimetogiveavoicetothemillionsofgirlswhoaren’tbeingheard.Sotheywentinsearchofthestoriesbehindthestatistics–andthegirlstheymetastoundedthem.IneverycorneroftheworldtheyvisitedwhilemakingGirlRising,theyfoundgirlsbeingagentsforchange.TheirfortitudebecametheGirlRisingmotto:oNe Girl WitH courAGe is A revolutioN.

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2. About empowering Next Generations to Advance Girls’ education (eNGAGe)

GirlRisingENGAGEisadynamicUSAID-supportedpublic-privatepartnershipthataimstochangethewaygirlsarevalued,helppeopleunderstandherworthandsharethebenefitsofeducatingandempoweringher.

Thisinnovative,multi-yeareffortisaspringboardforcampaignstochangeattitudesandbehaviors–andgetmoregirlsintoclassroomsinIndia,theDemocraticRepublicofCongoandNigeria.

We’vealwaysusedstorytellingtochangethewaytheworldvaluesthegirl.ENGAGEistakingthesestoriestosomeoftheplacesintheworldwhereitismostdifficulttobeagirl.Placeswhereourstoriescanhelppeopledotwoveryimportantthings:imagine a different future for girls and believe that everyone has an important role in helping them rise.

AdaptedversionsoftheGirlRisingfilmrecordedinlocallanguageswillhelpraiseawarenessaboutthepositivebenefitsthatcomewhengirlsareeducated.Thefilmwillairontelevisionandwillalsobeutilizedincommunityprograms.Itwillspurcommunity-ledchangeincities,townsandvillagesacrossourtargetcountries.ENGAGEalsotargetscorporate,culturalandgovernmentinfluencers,non-profitpartnersandgrassrootsactivistsinthesecountries.

InIndia,GirlRising’sENGAGEinterventionaimstoaddressparticulardemand-sidebarriersnationallyandinthetargetgeographiesofRajasthanandBiharwithathree-prongedapproachthatincludesmassmediacommunications,community-levelsocialmobilisation,andadvocacyeffortsinpartnershipwithSaveTheChildren.

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3. Partnership with save the children

InpartnershipwithSavetheChildren,GirlRisingaimstoincreaseawarenessaboutgirls’educationbybringingthefilmtoover14,000childrenandparentsfrom40villagesinBiharandRajasthan.GirlRising’sinitiativeswiththescreeningofthefilmasitsbasewillcreatedialogueaboutgirls’educationandchangeforgirls.

WithSavetheChildren,GirlRisingwilltakethesestoriesintheformoftwoSpecialNGOEditionstoAlwar(Rajasthan)andGaya(Bihar).InthesetwodistrictswhereSavetheChildrenisworkingwithit’sNGOpartners-themodusoperandioftheprojectistomobiliseandengagemen,womenandschoolyouthinthecommunitythroughthefilmandthroughfocusedgroupdiscussionsbasedonthefilmforthepurposeofachievingbehaviouralchangethatleadstoincreasedaccesstoeducationforgirlsinBiharandRajasthan.

Gr

credits

TherearehundredsofindividualsandorganisationsthathavehelpedbringGirlRisingIndiatolife.Itwouldbeimpossibletocapturethemallhere,butGirlRisingwouldliketogiveaspecialthanksto:

Director: richard robbins

ExecutiveProducers: jody Allen, Paul Allen, Holly Gordonandtom Yellin

Producers: Martha Adams, richard robbinsandtom Yellin

IndiaFilmProducers: Priyanka chopra, tess joseph, Freida PintoandAmita vyas

i N d i A F i l M A d d i t i o N A l

Director: indrani Pal-chaudhuri

CreativeDirectorandExecutiveProducer:

GK reid

Fashionsby: GK&i

ThisguidewaswrittenbyAnu singh choudharywithcontributionsfromsave the childrenteam,Nidhi dubey,Aastha bhakhri,smriti Kaul(GirlRising India)andKayce jennings(GirlRising NewYork)